Hot Topics:

Talking Pictures: Bergman's film artistry shines in 'Persona'

Celebrated as one of the greatest films of all time, "Persona" (1966) was written and directed by famed Swedish director Ingmar Bergman ("The Seventh Seal", "Wild Strawberries").

Bergman is said to have arrived at the idea for the film when he was in ill in the hospital and saw a picture of actresses Liv Ullman and Bibi Andersson. He noticed a striking likeness in their facial features. This spurned him into writing the script in 14 days during his stay at the hospital.

While all of Bergman's films challenged the idea of cinematic conventions, "Persona" takes that notion the farthest, subverting our understanding of the cinema and simultaneously rewriting what we consider possible. The film is called a "poem in images." There are moments in which we do not understand what's happening or are able to articulate what we're feeling; yet, there isn't a single moment that we do not feel. That's the power of "Persona."

"Persona" tells the story of Elisabeth (a superb Liv Ullmann), a famous actress who has a mental breakdown and ends up in the hospital. For some reason, only apparent to her, Elisabeth has stopped speaking entirely and will not talk to anyone. She is assigned a nurse, Alma (a terrifyingly powerful performance from Bibi Andersson), who begins to take care of her and develops a certain affection for her. Alma eventually takes Elisabeth to a house in the country to take care of her and get her away from the city. Their days are spent with Alma talking about her childhood and her thoughts on life, while Elisabeth says nothing and listens. They form a strange bond with one another.

Advertisement

A futile attempt to verbalize Bergman's amazing film would be to say that as Elisabeth and Alma further delve into each other's minds, identity and consciousness begin to fade away.

"Persona" marks the sixth collaboration between Bergman and director of photography Sven Nykvist, who's contribution to the light and images in the film cannot be overstated. This is one of the most painfully beautiful films I've seen. Every composition, every human face, every camera move is exact and emotional. Such is the case with any film by Bergman. "Persona" in particular is remarkable in the way it uses the camera to psychologically endanger and rattle the audience. Bergman is a master director of actors, and here he pulls unparalleled performances from his two leads.

Andersson is the stand out. One second she's cool and sexy and in control, the next second she's mad and exploding with genuine anguish. Ullmann is not in any way out-acted, even though her character speaks only twice in the film. Her expressive, watchful eyes guide the audience through the entire film, as we seem to vicariously experience the film through her.

Bergman is one of the rare filmmakers who never had an opus as all of his works were varying masterpieces on different subjects. Changing tides of interest created stages in his career; yet, there was a brutal commonality to everything he did — using the camera to observe the frailty and pain of human emotion as seen on the landscape of the human face. Each of his films were a dream — some of them nightmares — and they gave us entry into feelings and moods that we could've never experienced reading a book, listening to music or observing a painting. As Woody Allen stated, Bergman was a true "film artist."

Sheridan O'Donnell reviews movies not in theaters anymore. Send your suggestions (and comments) to odsher@gmail.com and your film might just be in next week's Pulse.